Brandon is a Niagara University graduate with a passion for esports. He writes about League of Legends and esports, with analysis and commentary on both. He is a founding member Niagara University Esports and the previous mid laner/coach for the NU Esports LoL team. Twitter @GhandiLoL

LEC Summer 2019 | Playoffs Round 2: Fnatic vs G2 Esports Recap

Game One

This is the match everyone was waiting for. The battle against European giants G2 Esports (“G2”) and Fnatic (“FNC”) is one of the most exciting matchups in professional League of Legends. Most expected G2 to be leagues ahead of FNC, but FNC disproved that by smashing G2 in Game One of this series. The early game was controlled by FNC as they utilized their three global ultimates to find skirmishes. They were very proactive and even turned around most of G2’s plays. In addition, FNC’s Garen-Yuumi won their lane hard versus G2’s counter picks.

As expected, it was an action-packed game. Neither team would back down from a fight, and this showed between 17 and 22 minutes. Here, three team fights occurred back-to-back. FNC came out on top in all of them, picking up towers off the backs of the plays too. Afterward, multiple G2 members were caught out, giving FNC a larger lead. Eventually, they were so far ahead that they could simply dive into G2’s base and fight them. At 26 minutes, FNC found picks onto Perkz and Jankos. This gave them the opportunity to blast through G2’s base and claim the first Nexus of the series.

QUICK STATS:

Time: 27:35

Kills: 25-10

Turrets: 8-2

Gold: 58.2k-45.8k

Dragons: 2-1

Barons: 0-0

Game Two

Some expected this series to be one-sided, but not in favor of FNC. But after another win in game two, FNC brought G2 to a very early match point. They looked as exceptional in Game One, constantly controlling the pace of the game and pulling off great plays. Bwipo kicked it all of with a First Blood solo kill onto Wunder in the top lane. FNC then focused some plays on the bottom lane, where they picked up some kills onto Mikyx. On top of this, FNC also secured the First Tower bonus.

Though FNC had a lot of great early game plays, G2 did manage to get a few kills, so the game wasn’t one-sided yet. The scales tipped at 20 minutes when FNC rushed the Baron. They secured the buff and a kill to boot at this time. Next, they pushed lanes a knocked down a couple of towers. Crucially, Mikyx was caught out again, which led to more FNC map control. G2 defended their base successfully though, so FNC had to wait for the next Baron. It spawned and both teams instantly went towards it. A team fight erupted and FNC slaughtered G2, getting an Ace. With this advantage, FNC easily pushed through mid and ended the game.

QUICK STATS:

Time: 30:34

Kills: 17-13

Turrets: 9-5

Gold: 59.8k-53.5k

Dragons: 3-0

Barons: 1-0

Game Three

Finally, in Game Three, G2 turned online and declared they would not go down without a fight! Despite the early game going horribly for them, their late-game team fighting and decision making were enough to pull out a victory. FNC’s bottom lane duo killed Mikyx in the 2v2 for First Blood, then Nemesis solo killed Caps while Broxah successfully pulled off ganks around the map. It was a hell of a scrappy game and the action never stopped in the early game. Of course, both teams found some success, but FNC certainly pulled ahead in gold.

At 20 minutes, FNC rushed the Baron again and secured it for free. This allowed them to destroy multiple towers and an Inhibitor. But after this, the game slowed down considerably. The next two team fights, at 27 and 30 minutes respectively, ended up being very close. The real deciding moment happened at 32 minutes though. At this point, Jankos stole away FNC’s Baron and secure the buff for G2. With it, G2 grabbed full control of the game and knocked down tower after tower. It all came down to a fight around the Baron at 38 minutes, where G2 smashed FNC three-for-zero. Shortly after, G3 finished off the Ace and pushed down their first Nexus of the series.

QUICK STATS:

Time: 39:50

Kills: 28-22

Turrets: 8-8

Gold: 77.6k-73.3k

Dragons: 1-4

Barons: 1-1

Game Four

The series was flipped on it head in Game Four. In this one, G2 devastated FNC and picked up a second win in a row. G2 looked much more themselves this game, not crumbling under pressure but pressuring their opponents themselves. FNC got First Blood, but due to a hilarious Akali E, Wunder traded a kill back to make it a one-for-one. G2 won a skirmish in the middle lane a few minutes later, then Caps outplayed a 1v2 under his tower to get G2 two more kills on the board.

It only got worse for FNC from here. G2 used the Rift Herald in the top lane to take the First Tower bonus before moving to the middle lane to dive Nemesis and win a team fight two-for-one. Caps solo killed Rekkles at 16 minutes and the game looked doomed. Indeed it was, as Wunder pulled off a 1v2 against Bwipo and Broxah to kill both of them under their tower (though he died for it). At 20 minutes, G2 killed two more FNC members in team fight and took the Baron. FNC’s structures quickly fell and all G2 needed was one more team fight win to demolish FNC’s second Nexus of the series.

QUICK STATS:

Time: 24:51

Kills: 6-18

Turrets: 1-8

Gold: 38.6k-50.3k

Dragons: 1-2

Barons: 0-1

Game Five

Peak-performance G2 finally showed up in Game Five to find the third victory and complete the reverse sweep. This one looked like a full Challenger team beating up on Silver players, as G2 obliterated FNC. Jankos started it all off with a gank on the middle lane to get First Blood onto Nemesis. At the same time, a messy team fight in the bottom lane netted G2 three kills for only one. Next, G2 dove the top lane to get two more kills.

To make matters worse for FNC, G2 turned around their dive in the bottom lane to get four more kills to their name. Wunder solo killed Bwipo as G2 dove bot to slay two more FNC champions, and at only 13 minutes G2 had a 10k gold lead. The match was essentially over. At 14 minutes, G2 grouped up in the middle lane to win a huge team fight and take the middle Inhibitor. They returned with the Rift Herald two minutes later, but couldn’t quite end the game. But at 18 minutes, Wunder charged into FNC and engaged the final fight. All five of FNC’s champions lay dead from this, and G2 punched their ticket to the Finals with a pre-20 minute win.

QUICK STATS:

Time: 19:34

Kills: 9-0

Turrets: 27-7

Gold: 45.0k-30.3k

Dragons: 0-0

Barons: 2-0

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